Improvement in rotary steam-engines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. DU .n Ri own TE H. Gm In@ Rw .S R .W Wa Llu O R ,.....H.. .Mlnm/ Patented Dec.18,1877.

N4 PETERS. PHoTo LITHOGRAP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. R. RIGHTOR.

Rotary Steam-Engines.

No.198,2|4. Patented Dec. I8, 1877 Ny PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON o C UNITE-n STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM It. RIGHTOR, OF HELENA, ARKANSAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,214, dated December 18, 1877; application filed August 2, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. Ric-urea, of Helena, in the county of Phillips and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Steam-Engines, of which the following is the specification:

The nature and object of the invention will be readily understood by the subjoined, description and byreference to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure lis an end elevation of the improved engine. Fig. 2 is a general plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation, taken through one of the steam-ports. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the machine, showing the top half of the cylinder thrown open on its hinge, so as to gain access to the working parts. Fig. 5 is a plan of the parts as shown in the position indicated in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the machine. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of one of the valves and its seats.

The cylinder or outer casing of the machine is divided into two parts, A and A1, the lower part, A, of which is to be iirmly fixed to the bed-plate B, from which also rise the pillarblocks B', in which the bearings of the driving-shaft C are placed. The top section, A1, of the cylinder is hinged to the lower section l by the pivot-rod a, as shown in the drawings,

so that it may be thrown open, as is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

When the two parts of the cylinder are closed together, as in use, they will be held iirmly together by means of the screw-bolts al, that pass through the lugs a2 a3, attached, respectively, to the sections A and A1. On top ofthe cylinder, constructed as above described, and attached to and forming part of the section A1, will be the steam-chest A2, which has seats for two abutment-valves, D D, and apertures a4 for exhaust-pipes, and apertures a5 for the introduction of the steam-pipes.

The abutment-valves D D are constructed as shown best in Figs. 3 and 7. Each of them has an open port, al, through which steam passes from the steam-entrance a5 to the steamchamber of the engine, and each of them is backed by suitable springs dl, which will habitually press them down to the periphery of the working-piston E, which revolves within the cylinder A A, and rests upon the drivingshaft C.

The piston E is cylindrical in form, is driven rotarily by the pressure of stealn against .its piston-wings e, and is divided into two annular chambers, E1 and E2, formed by the flanges e and ez and a central ange, e3, each of these said flanges being constructed with sides sloping outwardly from the bottom of its respective chamber E1 or E2, as shown clearly in Fig. 6; and in the central part of each of the iianges e1 e2 c3 is formed a groove, into which is placed an annular spring-packing, e4, that closes the sides of the steam-chambers El and E2 steam-tight against the surrounding cylinder A A, concentric grooves e5 being formed in the said cylinder, into which the said packing-rings enter and form a perfectly steam-tight packing.

The chambers l* and E2 are each divided in two by the piston-wings c. These wings are set diametrically opposite each other in the said chambers, so that they will pass in succession' the induction and exhaust ports, thereby causing a continuous action in one of the steam-chambers of the piston, and a consequent obviation of any dead-point.

The piston-wings e are formed of two wedgeshaped ledges, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, and between these ledges (which pass entirely' across the spaces of their respective chambers El E2) is placed a spring-packing, e6, which presses habitually against the surrounding cylinder as the piston is rotated7 thereby securing a steam-tight joint, automatically adjustable, between these parts.

By using the wings e with sloping sides on bot-h sides, the engine may be run in either direction with equal facility, the sliding abutment-valves D D being compelled to rise automatically over these piston-wings as they pass under them, and then the springs d* will press the said abutments down again to the periphery of the piston.

The machine may be constructed so as to be run in either direction by making two sets of seats for the operating-valves D D on opposite sides of the exhaust-openings a, and then by placing the said valves in the desired seats, and closing the seats not used with plugs d 2, which must, of course, be tightly fitted in.

gine, divided into the sections A A1, hinged together at a, and bolted together at al a? a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

This specification signed this 5th day of July, 1877.

W. R. RIGHTOR.

Witnesses: RICHARD GERNER, CHR. REIGELMAN. 

